Compensating lid support



Jv H4 TEAF COMPENSATING LID SUPPORT April 12, 1932.

Filed March 10 927 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 12, 1932. J. H. TEAF COMPENSATING LID SUPPORT Filed March 10 A 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet gwuemtoz Patented Apr. 12, 19 32 umrsn stares parent orricii v JOHN H. TEAF, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELA WARE COMPENSATTNG LII) SUPPORT Application filed March 10, 1927; Serial No. 174,379.

This invention relatesto supports for lids, covers and similar elements, hereinafter generally referred to as supports for lids, and more particularly to supports of this character provided with means to counterbalance the weight of the lid in its various angular positions. 7

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved support of the character referred to which is so designed that the weight of the lid is properly counterbalanced throughout its range of movement, so as to eliminate the possibility of the lid moving through any substantial distance -without proper restraint of the 'counterbalancing means or under the influence of an excessive counterbalancing force. I

Another object of this invention is to provide a support of the character referred to which is adapted to retain the lid in its open position but without offering undue resistance to a closing movement thereof and without using a latch or lock that requires positive disengagement of parts in order to release the lid.

Another object of this invention is to provide a support of the character referred to which is adapted to retard the closing move ment of the lid near its closed position so as to minimize the chance of the lid being slammed into closed position.

. Another objectof this invention'is to provide a support of the character referred to which is ofsimple, compact and rugged constructiom and which is composed of parts that are easy and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. j

Other objects will appear as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which has been shown on the accompanying drawings, but it is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as a definition of the limits ofthe invention, refcrence being had to the appended claims for to designate corresponding parts in the several figures, i t

Fig. 1 illustrates a fragment of a cabinet or casing provided with a counte'rbalancing lid support embodying the present invention;

. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lid support of Fig. 1; v

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; f

gig. 4 is a sectionon the line 4+4 of Fig. 1; an

' Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line g 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In the form shown, designates a cabinet 7 i or casing of any suitable character provided with a lid 11 hinged or pivoted to said cabinetat 12. Within the cabinet 10 is shown a horizontal partition 13, slotted at 14 to receive the link hereinafter described. Mount- .7 V understood that said base plate may be suitably designed for attachment to a vertical wall or partition, if desired.

. Mounted on the base plate 15 in any suit: able way is a post 18, shown as threadedat its outer end 19 and having a reduced inner end 20 upset in a suitable aperture in the plate 15. Rotatably mounted on said post 18,

and shown as separated therefrom by a washer 21,-.is a cam plate 22 having a cam edge to be described. If desired, awasher 23 of friction material may be interposed between the cam plate 22 and the Washer-21. A sec,- ond Washer '24 is mounted on the post 18 exteriorly of the cam plate 22 and held in frictional engagement therewith by a spring washer '25 retained on the post 18 by a nut 26. To prevent rotation of the Washer 24,

it is shown as provided with an extension 27 slotted at 28 to receive a projection 29 on the base plate 15.

The cam plate 22 has a lateral extension 30 to which is pivoted, at 31, a link 32 for attachment to the lid. The link 32 is shown projecting upwardly through the slot 14:, be-

ing pivotally attached at 33 to any suitable bracket plate 34 fastened in any suitable way to the lid 11.

Pivotally connected to the cam plate 22 is a thrust rod 35, said rod being shown as hav ing a right angular bend 36 with its bent end rotatably mounted in an aperture 37 in the cam plate 22 and retained therein in any suitableway, washers being shown at 38 and 39. Slidably mounted on the thrust rod is a collar 40 which is normally abutted against one or more lugs or projections 41 suitably formed on or attached to the rod 35. Adjacent its opposite extremity, the rod 35 carries a second slidable collar 42 provided with a tubular exteriorlythreaded extension 43. interposed between and abutting said collars 40 and 42 are a pair of tubular coil springs 44 and 45 which lie one within the other and surround the rod 35, although in place oi. two springs as illustrated one stronger spring could be used if desired.

Adjustably mounted on the extension 43 of the collar 42 is a collar-like cross head 4' provided, integrally therewith or suitably attached thereto, with one or more, preferably a pair of, diametrically extending projections or pins 47. Engaging said pins 47 are a pair of crank arms 48 suitably notched at their tree ends, as shown at 49, to prevent disengagement from the pins 47, two crank arms being preferably used to balance the forces with respect to rod 35, although one arm could be used without departing from the spirit of this invention. Said crank arms 48 are pivotally mounted on the base plate 15 in any suitable way, as by a headed pivot pin 50. Also pivotally mounted on the pin 50, and interposed between said crank arms 48, is a third crank arm 51 which is made to partake of the movements of the crank arms 48 in any suitable way, said arms 48 being shown as connected by a bridge 52 which engages the edge of the crank arm 51 and causes the crank arms 48 and 51 to move in unison. The outer extremity of the crank arm 51 is provided, in any suitable way, with a roller 53 for engagement with the cam edge or the cam plate 22, said roller being shown as having a head 54 to prevent disengagement of the roller from the edge of the cam plate 22.

The cam edge of plate 22 is specially laid out with respect to the axis of rotation of said plate so as to counterbalance the weight of the lid 11 in its various angular positions and to perform the functions hereinafter re ferred to. It preferably includes four distinctive portions, a slight elevation 55 adapted to engage the roller 53 when the cover is in closed position; a slight dwell 56 immediately adjacent thereto and adapted to cooperate with the roller 53 justprior to the cover reaching its closed position; a cam surface 57 which is substantially straight and which gradually increases in distance from the axis of rotation of plate 22 as it recedes from the dwell 56; and a curved edge 58 which leads into a distinctive dwell 59 for coaction with the roller 53 when the lid 11 is in its uppermost or wide-open position.

As the lid 11 is raised from the position shown in Fig. 1, by swinging the same around its hinge 12, the change in angularity of the lid causes a decrease in the weight of t e lid sustained by the person who is opening the lid. Therefore, the force which acts to counterbalance the weight of the lid should decrease as the lid is opened. The counterbalancing force which is exerted by the spring or springs 44, 45, reacting between the collars 40 and 42, is therefore varied, in con iormity with the present invention, by the coaction of the cam edge of plate 22 with the roller 53 on the crank arm 51.

Assuming that the lid is closed as shown in Fig. 1, the springer springs 44, 45 are compressed between the collars 40 and 42, collar 40 acting as an abutment owing to its engagement with the projections 41 on the thrust rod 35, and collar 42 acting as an abutment because it is held against movement toward the left (as viewed in Fig. 1) by the engagement of crank arms 48 with the projections 47 on cross head 46, said crank arms 48 in turn being held in position by their engagement with crank arm 51 and the engagement of the roller 53 on the latter with the portion 55 of the cam edge of: plate 22. It will be ob served that the reaction of the spring or springs 44, 45 on the thrust rod 35, as applied to the cam plate 22, is in a line nearly at right angles to a radius of said plate extending to the point of engagement of roller 53 with the edge of said plate. Hence, when the lid 11 is raised slightly and the cam plate 32 is rotated in a clockwise direction by link 32, the movement of the lid is aided by the reaction of the spring or springs 44,45 on col lar 40 and rod 35, which reaction tends to rotate the plate 22 in a clockwise direction, or p in the direction in which ittends to be rotated by the link 32.

The dwell 56 performs its chief function during the closing movement and may be disregarded during the opening movement of the lid, but, if desired. the reaction of the spring or springs may be utilized to effect a slight opening of the lid, as soon as it is released, sufficient to move the plate 22 until the roller 53 moves from the slight projection into the slight dwell 56.

As the lid 11 rises, the spring or springs 44, 45 continue to exert a rotative torque on the cam plate 22, tending to rotate the same in a clockwise direction or in the same direction as that in which said plate tends to be rotated by the link 32, because the line of thrust of rod 35 crosses the line between the center of rotation of said plate 22 and the point of engagement of the roller 53 with the edge of saidplate at nearly a rightangle. As said plate 2-2 thus rotatesunder the combined action of the manual force applied to the lid 11 and the reaction of the counterbalancing force exerted by the spring or springs 44, 45, the roller 53 is gradually urged away from the center of rotation of the plate 22cb-yfthe cam edge 58, so that crank arms 51 and 48 are rotated around their center 50 to exertfa pressure on the collar 42 to maintain a continuing but decreasing compression ofthespring or springs 44, 45, so that said spring or springs exert a continuous counterbalancing force which decreasesas the lid is raised.

As the lid reaches its uppermost or open position, roller 53 engages the curved portion 58 of the cam edge, and the pressure on the collar 42 is thereupon relieved, the :roller entering the dwell 59 when the lid isin its uppermost position. In this position, the roller 53 is permitted to approach the axis of the cam plate 22 sufliciently so as to relieve the compression of the spring or springs 44, 45, retaining only suificient compression of said springs, if any, to constitute a steadying force. Owing to the existence. of this dewll which resists movement of the roller 53 out of it unless a substantial force be exerted, the lid is retained steadily in its open position.

To reverse the movement of the lid from open to closed position, a substantial force toward closing position must be exerted on the cover in order to causethe roller 53 to move out of the dwell 59, with the consequent movement of the crank arms 48 and 51 in a.

counterclockwise direction to compress the spring or springs 44, 45. As the, lid is thereafter moved toward the closed position, the roller 53 is approaching the axis ofrotation of the plate 22, so that the collar 42 is being withdrawn slightly toward the left (as viewed in Fig. 1), While the plate 22 is being rotated by the link 32 in a .counterclockwise direction, this movement of said plate efi'ecting a compression of the spring or springs 44, 45 through the co1lar40, by reason of the thrust exerted on said collar by the thrust rod 35, because the compressing force exerted on the spring or springs 44, 45 through the collar 40 is increasing more rapidly than collaw 42 is being permitted to withdraw, so that the spring or springs are gradually compressed in proportion to the downward" movement of the lid, counterbalancing the weight thereof. Just before the lid reaches its closed position, the roller 53 enters the slight dwell 56 and said lid can be moved to entirely closed position onlyby the exertion of an additional force, during which the spring or springs 44, 45 are compressed at one end by the collar 40, by reason of the counterclockwise rotation of the plate 22, and at the opposite end by the collar 42, by reason of the counterclockwise movement of thecrank arms 48, 51, enforcedby the necessity of the counterbalanced in all positions.

cause it to slam into closed position.

:The extent of compression of the spring or springs 44,- 45 can benicely adjusted by adjustment of the cross head collar 46 on.the threaded extension 43 of the collar 42, thereby assuring the proper' compression of the movement of the lid. Q

. Owing to the fact that both 'abutments for the spring or springs 44, '45 are moved during the opening and closing movement of the lid, the extent of compression of the spring or springs is always less than that which would be required-if the entire counterbalancing of the-lid were performed by the compression of a spring having a stationary abutment. Hence, there is at no time such a reactive force in the spring or springs as to cause the lid to spring to open position when released, or beyond a position slightlyajar if the compression of the spring or springs in the fully closed position of the lid is so selected as to cause the roller 53 to enter the dwell 56 when the lid is released. Also, the resistance of the spring or springs to the closing movement of the lid is substantially less than if the spring or springs had a stationary abutment." In other words, while the compensating or counterbalancing force is varied with the angular position of the lid and is maintained at such a quantity as to enable the lid tobe moved from any position to spring or springs throughout the range of any other position with the exertion of a slight force thereon, the reaction of the springor springs is never such as tocause which assures that the counterbalancing force shall vary with the angular position of the lid and that the lid shall be properly At the same time the counterbalancing means is so designed as to retain the lid inopen position without unduly resisting a closing movement and to prevent slamming of the lid into closed position. The counterbalancing support is also of simple, compact and rugged 1 construction and composed of parts which areeasy and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. r t J While the embodiment of the invention illustrated on the drawings has been described with considerable particularity, it is tobe expressly understood that theinvention is'not restricted thereto, as the same is capable of receiving other expressions, some of which will-now readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the 'art. While it is preferred-to use one or more compression springs, the invention-can be embodied in a device using one or more tension springs. Changes may also be made in the details of construction, arrangement and proportion of parts without departing from the spirit of this invention; Reference is therefore to be had to the claims hereto appended for a definition of the limits of said invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a counterbalancing support, the combination of a movable member. means for operatively connectingthe same with an object to be counterbalanced whereby said member moves with said object, a compression spring operatively connected to said member and normally exerting;- a thrust thereon tending to rotate the same in a direction to counterbalance the weight of the object, and means actuated by said member for controllingthe compression of said spring.

2. In a counterbalancing support, the combination of a movable member, means for oper'ativcly connecting the same with an object to be counterbalanced whereby said member moves with said object, a compression spring operatively connected to said member and normally tending to rotate the same in a direction to counterbalance the weight of ti o object, a movable abutment for said spring, said spring being: compressed between said member and said abutment, and means actuated by said member for varying the position of said abutment in conformity with the position of the object.

3. In a counterbalancing support, a rotatable member, means for operatively connecting said member to an object to be counter balanced whereby said member is rotatedby movement of said object, a compression spring operatively connected to said member and compressed by the rotation thereof, a movable abutment for said spring, said spring being compressed between said memher and said abutment, and means cooperating with said abutment and said member to adjust the position of said abutment in eonformity with the position of the object.

4. In a counterbalancinp; support, a rotatably mounted plate having a cam surface, means for operatively connecting said plate to an object to be counterbalanced whereby said plate is rotated by the movement of the object, means operatively connected with and tending to rotate said plate in a direction to counterbalance the weight of the object, and means cooperating with said cam surface for controlling the action of said counterbalancing means.

5. Ina counterbalancinp; support, a rotatably mounted plate having a cam surface, means for operatively connecting" said plate to an object to be counterbalanced whereby said plate is rotated by the movement of the object, resilient means operatively connected with said plate and tending to rotate the same in a direction to counterbalance the weight of the object, and means cooperating with said cam surface for determining the counterbalancing forceof said resilient means.

6. In a counterbalancing support, a rotatably mounted plate having a cam surface, means for operatively connecting said plate to an object to be counterbalanced whereby said plate is rotated by the movement of the object, a compression spring operatively connected to said plate and compressed by the rotation of said plate, and means cooperating with said cam surface for varying the extent of compression of said spring.

7. In a counterbalancing support, a rotatably mounted plate having a cam surface, means for operatively connecting said plate to an object to be counterbalanced whereby said plate is rotated by the movement of the object, a compression spring operatively connected to said plate and compressed by the rotation of said plate, a movable abutment for said spring, and means cooperating with said abutment and said cam surface for varying the position of said abutment relatively to the position of said plate and in conformity with the position of the object.

8. In a counterbalancing support, a rotatably mounted plate having a cam surface, means for operatively connecting said plate to an object to be counterbalanced whereby said'plate is rotated by the movement of the object, a thrust member operatively con" nected to said plate, a spring acting on said member and tending to rotate said plate in a direction to counterbalance the weight of the object, an element for determining the tension of said spring, and means actuated by said cam surface for controlling said element.

9. In a counter-balancing support, a rotatably mounted plate having a cam surface, means for operatively connecting said plate to an object to be counterbalanced whereby said plate is rotated by the movement of the object, a thrust member operatively connected to said plate, a compression spring normally exerting a thrust on said member and tending to rotate said plate in a direction to counterbalance the weight of the object, a movable abutment for said spring, and mechanism operativelyassociated with said movable abutment and actuated by said cam surface for varying the position of said movable abutment relatively to the position of said plate. V 10. In a counterbalancing support, a rotatably mounted plate, means for operatively connecting said plate to an object to be counterbalanced whereby said plate is rotated by the movement of the object, a spring operatively connected to said plate and normally tending to rotate the same in a direction to counterbalance the weight of the object,

means to adjust the tension of said spring manually, and cam means operated by said plate for varying the tension of said spring in conformity with the position of said plate.

11. In a counterbalancing support, a rotatably mounted plate having a cam surface,

means for operatively connecting said plate I to an object to be counterbalanced whereby said plate is rotated by the movement of the object, a compression spring operatively connected to said plate and normally tending" to rotate the same in a direction to counterbalance the weight of the object, a movable abutment for said spring, said spring being compressed between said plates and said abutment, means cooperating with said abutment and actuated by said cam surface for varying the position of said abutment in conformity with the position of said plate, and means to preliminarily adjust the position of said abutment.

12. In a counterbalancing support for a lid, a rotatably mounted plate having a cam surface, means for operatively connecting said plate to a lid whereby said plate is rotated by the movement of the lid, resilient means operatively connected with said plate and tending to rotate the same in a direction to counterbalance the weight of the lid, and means actuated by said cam surface for varying the tension of said'resilient means in conformity with the position of said plate,-said cam surface including a dwell which cooperates with said last-named means to retain the lid in its open position.

13. In a counterbalancing support for a lid, a rotatably mounted plate having a cam surface, means for operatively connecting said compression spring, movable abutments for each end of the spring, a connection between one abutment and said rotatable member whereby said spring tends to rotate said member in a direction tov compensate for the weight of the object, and a connection between.

the other abutment and said member whereby the posit-ion of said abutment is varied with the position of said object.

16. In a compensating support, a rotatable compensate for the weight of the object, and

means cooperating with said cam surface and acting upon the other abutment for determining the extent of compression of said spring.

17. In a compensating support, a movable member adapted to be operatively connected with an object to be counterbalanced and moved thereby, a bodily movable spring operatively connected to said member and tending to move said member in a direction to counterbalance the weight of said object, and meansactuated by said member and cooperating with said spring to predetermine the position and tension of said spring in conformity with the position of the object.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

JOHN H. TEAF.

plate to a lid whereby said plate isrotatedby the movement of the lid, resilient means operatively connected with said plate and tending to rotate the same in a direction to counterbalance the weight of the lid, and means actuated by said cairn surface for varying the tension of said resilient means in conformity with the position of said plate, said cam surface being so shaped as to require an extra exertion of force to move the lid from nearly closed to completely closed position.

14. In a counterbalancing support, rotatable means adapted to be operatively connected to an object to be counterbalanced and rotated by the'movement of the object, counterbalancing means cooperating with said rotatable means, and means including a. cam

for the weight of the object while maintaining the same insuficient to raise the object with out the exertion of a manual force. 7

15. In a counterbalancing support, a rotatable member adapted to be operatively connected to an object to be counterbalanced, a 

